Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender join forces for Genius

Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender are set to join forces for Genius, an upcoming production based on the relationship between Thomas Wolfe and his editor Max Perkins, RadioTimes.com can confirm.

The film will be helmed by award-winning British theatre director Michael Grandage and written by three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner John Logan, whose credits include The Aviator, Gladiator and the latest 007 outing Skyfall.

Based on the National Book Award-winning biography Max Perkins: Editor of Genius by A. Scott Berg, Genius will focus on the real-life relationship between Thomas Wolfe (Fassbender) and Max Perkins (Firth). Wolfe was one of the major American novelists of the 20th century, a sensation who found fame following the release of his best-selling debut Look Homeward, Angel at the tender age of just 29.

Maxwell Perkins was his editor and one of the most prominent literary figures of the age, having previously discovered iconic authors including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The pair developed a strong relationship, with Maxwell becoming something of a father figure to the young writer, although they'd later fall out due to the former's severe editing which some people attributed to Wolfe's success.

"John Logan, Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender is an extraordinary line-up to work with,” said Michael Grandage in a statement. “Together, we can all now look ahead to making this project a reality and bring this amazing story to the attention of audiences everywhere."